February 02, 2008

Harley goes badass for Christmas

If you haven't seen the television commercial Harley-Davidson has produced for the holiday season, here it is:

Adweek, the bible of the advertising industry in the U.S., had this to say about the TV spot:

I'd hate to see the poor child who happens to stumble upon this scary Santa in the middle of the night. An entertaining holiday-themed spot for Harley-Davidson from Carmichael Lynch in Minneapolis introduces a leather-clad Santa who is anything but rosy-cheeked and jolly. In fact, he doesn't even have a face! A metal skull instead peaks out of his hood. He certainly looks evil, but he's just badass. Motorcycles harnessed by chains pull his sleigh, and the presents he delivers to the people on his "bad list" are wrapped in black. No tiptoeing here as he barrels into the living room and throws the gifts under the tree along with a few exhaust pipes. On his way out he tosses a bloody bone to the pet Doberman on his way out. Flames cut a path behind him as he roars off in his sleigh and on-screen copy asks, "How bad have you been this year?" It's a smart twist on a holiday standard and reminds viewers that with Harley you can be as "bad" as you want to be and still get rewarded.